NEW ORLEANS – Less than a week from its first race of the 2024 season, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) unveiled the preseason edition of the NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Regional Rankings with the Rams ranked seventh in the east, the national organization announced Tuesday.
It is the third consecutive campaign that the blue-and-gold appeared on the preseason regional list after being staples on the weekly poll throughout since making the program debut Sept. 14, 2021.
At seventh, it is the highest preseason regional rank for the Rams in program-history. Suffolk has appeared on two previous USTFCCCA Regional Ranking lists, eighth in 2022 and ninth 2023.
The Rams ended the 2023 season seventh in the East after a third consecutive runner-up finish at the conference championships, a program-best eighth-place team finish at regionals. On top of the team performances a year ago, Suffolk saw its second-ever student-athlete race at NCAA Championships in Tim Barry, who is back in blue-and-gold this season.
Suffolk is one of two Conference of New England (CNE) programs to break into the preseason regional rankings as Roger Williams landed 10th on the Mideast Region list.
The Rams are one of eight institutions to see both their men's and women's programs to be recognized on the regional preseason list with Suffolk's women' squad earning a program-record fourth, the highest regional ranking in University history by either cross country program.
The USTFCCCA Regional Cross Country Coaches' Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning team's strengths with current season results, when applicable, to determine a ranking-order by squad potential. Only USTFCCCA member programs are eligible to receive a ranking. The weekly ranking by the USTFCCCA began in 2010.
Suffolk's 2024 campaign is five days away as the Rams travel to Attleboro, Massachusetts, Saturday, Aug. 31 for the 10th Annual Wheaton & Babson Season-Opener. The men's 5,000-meter run is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m.